Take Action for Worker Safety and Health!
National COSH Town Hall Brings Workers' Voices to OSHA Leadership
The National COSH Network will organize several Town Hall discussions between workers and the new leadership of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Our goal is to ensure that safety concerns workers have about their jobs are heard and addressed. On Wednesday, June 23rd, National COSH hosted the first of these Town Halls with Jim Frederick, acting chief of OSHA, who responded to questions from farm, poultry plant, nursing home and other workers. Topics included the urgent need to protect workers from heat exposure, the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for health care workers, the right to refuse unsafe work and more. You can listen to the Zoom recording of the 6/23 Town Hall in English here.
National Agenda for Worker Safety and Health
After nearly a year of COVID, workers around the country are sick, dying and broke. Together, we can turn this around: save lives, get healthy, and get back to work in an environment with greater safety precautions and lower risk. The National Agenda for Worker Safety and Health, released on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, was developed by workers, unions, safety advocates and worker organizations. It brings together ideas, based on real experience in our workplaces, to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and other hazards in our workplaces.
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021 was a National Agenda for Worker Safety and Health Day of Action. We are clear: as workers we are united to keep employers and government accountable in doing everything possible to ensure that we can earn our living with respect, and return home safe, and well. You can watch a summary video of the Day of Action here.
Spring/Summer 2021: Demand STRONG COVID Worker Safety Protections
On his first day in office, President Biden signed an Executive Order instructing OSHA to evaluate whether an OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) was necessary and if so to issue it by March 15th, 2021. March 15 has come and gone. Workers are still getting sick and dying… but the protections for workers remain optional guidance and not a mandate. The GOOD NEWS is that our demands have been heard and the ETS has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review!
- Joint Oxfam America/National COSH sign-on letter demanding approval of the OSHA COVID Emergency Temporary Standard
- Press Statement
How can I support Protecting Workers from COVID and the Emergency Temporary Standard?
Make your voice heard! Here is a National COSH Tool Kit in English and Spanish so you can take ACTION to demand the ETS.
- Go to the White House Comment web page and tell President Biden ALL workers deserve protection;
- Talk to your coworkers about these demands;
- Together, ask your employer for these protections;
- Spread the word on social media, or with a letter to the editor! (toolkit | video)
February 2021 - About Executive Order 13999
On his first full day in office, President Biden issued Executive Order 13999 "Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety". We have created a fact sheet breaking down the order and what it means for workers. We also include information on what workers can do to be safer on the job. (For more information on actions to take to make your workplace safer see our COVID-19 Resources page).
July 2020 - Action to include Safety and Health protections in the next COVID-19 relief bill
For this campaign, we partnered with several organizations to promote a video honoring essential workers who lost their lives due to COVID-19 contracted at work. We also created a Senate email campaign, social media toolkit, and shared resources to help workers know their rights and get inspired by other worker-led actions.
